


Trials and Tribulations

by butsatisfactionbroughtitback



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Angst, Crying, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, a ton of crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:24:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butsatisfactionbroughtitback/pseuds/butsatisfactionbroughtitback
Summary: Please be aware that while the description of rape is non-graphic, it does occur during this story and can be triggering to some people. Due to this, comments will be moderated.Marvin just wanted to see Whizzer. However, that plan goes awry in a tragic way and Whizzer is left to pick up the pieces and try to help heal more than just their broken relationship.





	Trials and Tribulations

“One second!” Whizzer yelled as he ran to open the door.

“How can I-?” He stopped short as he recognized Marvin standing on the other side. His heart started hammering in his chest and he didn’t know whether to kiss him or punch him. He settled on staring dumbly.

“Hi Whizzer.” He gave a small smile.

“No. Don’t want to hear it.” Whizzer started closing the door. _I can’t make the same mistake_. He thought to himself.

“Wait! Please! Can we just talk for a minute?”

“No Marvin, I do not wish to hear anything you have to say to me.” He couldn’t bear to look at Marvin’s crestfallen expression and shut the door in Marvin’s face.

He returned to his kitchen and finished making dinner for himself, muttering under his breath. He brought his food over to his couch and turned on the TV, flipping through the stations before settling on a marathon of his favorite television show. At some point he dozed off and was startled awake by his phone ringing. He got up and glanced at his watch wondering who would be calling at almost midnight. He walked over to his receiver and lifted it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Whizzer?” The voice was barely above a whisper.

“Who is this?”-

“Please... help...”

“Marvin?? What the fuck is this supposed to be about?”

“Please... help me...” he sounded desperate.

“Okay. Okay. Where are you?”

“Payphone... outside Joe’s Pub.” (Definitely _not_ the good one)

“Don’t move. I’ll be right there.” Whizzer silently cursed Marvin for getting shitfaced in a seedy part of town. He left his flat and hailed a cab.

“Joe’s Pub. I need to pick up someone.”

He told the cab to wait at the curb before approaching Marvin’s form hunched over on the bench by the telephone. _Drunk as a skunk_.

“Marvin? Where’s your jacket?”

Marvin seemed to fold into himself more before slowly looking up at him, “Lost it.”

He looked exhausted and had a nasty bruise along his jaw and his clothing was completely disheveled. _Mugged_.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” He grabbed his shoulder. Marvin wrenched himself away and unbalanced himself, falling off the bench and landing with a cry on sidewalk. Whizzer froze and stared down at Marvin’s face as tears began slipping from the corners of his eyes. A trickle of blood seeped from his hairline past his ear, his forearms were scraped and bleeding, his shirt was untucked, and the zipper of his pants was broken and the button missing. _Raped_. The word reverberated in Whizzer’s skull as his own heart seemed to break.

“Oh, dear God.” He kneeled down in front of the hyperventilating man, “Marvin, I’m not going to hurt you. Please, let me get you back home.” He held is hand out, palm up.

Marvin slowly took it and stood. He limped over to the cab.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Marvin shook his head, “They don’t... care about... what happens... to fags.”

Whizzer bit his lip before opening the door for Marvin. He gave the taxi driver Marvin’s address and tried to assess Marvin out of the corner of his eye, unsure if he should override Marvin’s wishes and get him immediate emergency medical services.

“Police?”

Again, Marvin shook his head.

Whizzer helped Marvin into his apartment and led him straight to the bathroom. He started running the water in his tub and fished out Marvin’s first aid kid.

“Marvin... I’m sorry but I’m going to need you to get undressed, so I can clean and bandage you.”

Marvin looked like he’d rather die than show Whizzer his injuries, “You can go... I’m sorry... for ruining your evening.”

“No Marvin, that would be a really dick thing to do to anybody, least of all you.”

“Why? You don’t care about me... or anything I have to say.”

“I’m sorry Marvin. I take back what I said. Please. Please let me take care of you.”

He expected Marvin to get annoyed or angry and insist Whizzer leave, but instead, he just slowly lifted up his shirt. Whizzer didn’t know if he should look away or not and chose to settle on something slightly to the left of Marvin. He helped Marvin get into the tub and finally took a look at Marvin’s naked body. Marvin looked away ashamed as Whizzer gasped involuntarily at the dark purple hickies that dotted his collarbone and deep scratches and bruises marking his hips and buttocks and the blood smeared between his thighs. Silently, he lathered a washcloth and gently began cleaning Marvin. Marvin squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head on the wall. Whizzer worked as quickly as possible while also trying to touch him as delicately as possible. He bandaged Marvin’s elbows and handed him a towel. He helped Marvin out of the tub and looked for his robe. He led Marvin to the bedroom and helped him under the covers. He turned off the light and opened the door to leave.

“Please stay.” Marvin’s voice was so small, Whizzer immediately turned back.

He laid down next to Marvin and listened as Marvin’s breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep. Whizzer crammed the tidal wave of anger and grief down. Marvin did not need to see him lose it. He felt exhaustion creep over him and he shortly fell asleep.

Whizzer awoke to sunlight pouring through the window. He stared at the different, but familiar surroundings before remembering that he was in Marvin’s bedroom. In Marvin’s bed. With Marvin. He shifted slightly to look at Marvin, still asleep and curled on his side. Whizzer glanced at his watch. _Shit_. It was already two in the afternoon. Whizzer didn’t work weekends and from what he remembered, neither did Marvin. He studied Marvin’s face, noting the swelling of his jaw. He’d make sure Marvin had some frozen peas or something to put on it later. His stomach growled, but he didn’t want Marvin to wake up thinking Whizzer had snuck out on him. Marvin shifted and his eyes met Whizzer’s. He smiled sleepily, before looking confused, then horrified.

“Whizzer, what happened?”

Whizzer sat up as Marvin struggled upright, grunting in pain. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again,

“What do you remember?”

Marvin’s brow furrowed, “I left your place and eventually found myself in front of Joe’s Pub and really needing a drink, or two, or four... then this guy... sat down next to me and talked... well actually mostly listened to me babble. I couldn’t walk in a straight line and he helped guide me out the back into the alley... and he kissed me... and when I pushed him away he punched me in the face and slammed me to the ground... and... and he... and...”

His eyes were huge, “No.” he grabbed at his robe and pulled it open enough for him to stare at his body, “No. No. Nononono.”

He continued whispering ‘No’ to himself, as his body started heaving.

“Marvin. Please, just breathe.”

Marvin wrapped the robe back around him and stared at Whizzer, “Don’t look at me like that. Don’t pity me.” His voice shook as tears streamed down his face.

“No Marvin, of course not.”

Whizzer slowly and purposefully slid over and deliberately placed his hands around Marvin. Marvin leaned into him clutching at his clothes that he had been wearing since the night before. He waited until Marvin had managed to get his breathing under control before asking,

“How about some food? Soon enough it will be dinner time. I’ll make some scrambled eggs if you’d like.”

Marvin took a long, unsteady breath before leaning back and staring vacantly into the distance, “Whizzer, I really appreciate everything that you’ve done, but I... but I really need to be alone right now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Whizzer hated the idea of leaving Marvin alone, “Can I come back tomorrow?”

Marvin thought for a moment, then nodded, “Yes. You can come by tomorrow morning.”

“Okay... You should put some ice on your face to reduce the swelling.” Whizzer reluctantly stood, “Are you sure I can’t do anything for you right now?”

“No. Nothing.”

Whizzer walked towards the door, “Please call if you need anything.” He left Marvin in the bed. He exited the apartment and flagged down a taxi. He numbly made his way to his flat and ate some cold leftovers before showering and putting on fresh new clothes. He vaguely wondered what Marvin had visited him for the previous night, but figured it didn’t matter anymore. God, he wished he had let him in. He sat down at his kitchen table and buried his head in his hands. _Oh my God_. That was the first time they’d seen each other in two years. They’d fucking slept in the same bed together. How many times did Whizzer wish he was doing precisely that? He got his wish in the worst possible way. He felt nauseous. He didn’t know how Marvin was handling things and he wondered briefly if he should get in contact with Mendel, but ultimately decided against it for the time being. He felt so helpless.

Trying to distract himself, he took his shopping list and walked to the nearest grocery store. He stared blankly at the aisles, his mind seemingly running at half speed, before making his way to the produce section. As he squeezed the different fruits, images of Marvin huddled on the bench, scared, forced themselves into his mind. He tried to push them away but that only caused more images of Marvin slumped to the side in his tub as Whizzer ran the washcloth over his body, the water around him turning red. Whizzer was pulled back to the present as he felt something wet and sticky in his hand. He looked down at his clenched fist containing a mangled peach. Guiltily, he threw that in a bag and in his basket and switched to looking at plums. He continued shopping and on a whim, stopped down the ice cream aisle. Impulsively, he bought a tub of chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. Whizzer managed to buy the rest of his items without getting lost in his thoughts and debated calling a cab to take him back and prevent ice cream meltage. He decided the walk would be good for him and briskly made his way back to his place. He shoved the thawing ice cream in his freezer while putting away the rest of his groceries and checked his voicemail. No missed calls. He checked his watch. 5 pm. He decided to distract himself by watching the news. There was an interview with some legislator that promised to help improve America and its citizen’s rights. _But what about us homosexuals_? He thought bitterly. _Do we not have rights_? He knew the answer by many was no. He listened to the man make many promises that Whizzer had no idea if he would keep. The entire interview focused a lot on the guy’s hopes for peaceful international relations with many different countries, many of which Whizzer had never even heard of.

Afterwards, one of the news anchors was about to announce the weather forecast, and Whizzer lost what little interest he may have had. He shut off the TV and went to his kitchen. He boiled some pasta and made a basic spaghetti and meatball dinner for himself. He read a magazine article about the latest dietary supplement guaranteed to make someone lose ten pounds in two weeks. He stared at the before and after pictures and noted the slouched stance and unflattering angle of the ‘before’ picture as compared to the professional looking ‘after’. _Snake oil_. He continued eating moodily, unable to shake the funk he had been in all day. He scraped his leftovers into a Tupperware container and washed his plate and silverware.

He walked over to his bed and reached under it, pulling out a shoebox. He sat down and opened it, finding a small stack of photographs. It had been almost a month since he last looked over the pictures of him and Marvin, but now he stared intently at each one, trying to regain the feelings of euphoria and happiness that he felt when the camera first caught them. His breath caught at Marvin’s happy expression. The confidence that radiated off of him as he smiled at the camera, one arm slung across Whizzer’s shoulder. Whizzer stood up angrily and tucked the photograph into his front pocket. He stalked out of his flat and down the street mentally arguing with himself the entire time over how reckless and stupid he was about to be. He stared up at the sign for Joe’s Pub, took a deep breath, and entered. The place only had a few patrons, the Saturday night crowd apparently hadn’t arrived yet. He went to the bartender and leaned over the bar.

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

The bartender looked up, “How may I help you?”

“Did anyone find a jacket here last night? My friend lost his.”

“Let me check.” She walked over to the cash register and opened up the closet underneath it. She returned with a light grey jacket, “This it? It was left on a bar stool.”

“Yes. I believe so.” He took it and quickly pulled out the photograph and showed it to her, “This is my friend. He was here last night.”

She looked at the photo and looked back at Whizzer, “Yeah that looks like the guy who was talking to Eddie last night.”

“Eddie?”

“Guy who comes here every weekend and hangs out with a new person each night.”

“What time does he usually show up?”

She glanced at her watch, “About two hours from now.”

Whizzer sat down at the bar, “Can I have a club soda? I’ll be here a while.”

She paused and looked at him, “Sir, be careful. He has a reputation.”

“Yeah, I know.” The words came out harshly.

She looked sad, “One club soda coming right up.”

Whizzer wore Marvin’s slightly too big for him jacket that did not match his outfit and sat as the hours dragged by agonizingly slowly. The bar filled up with people and he had to avoid the occasional passerby who propositioned him. The bartender came up to him,

“That’s him. Just entered.” Whizzer thanked her and paid for his soda before turning and scanning the pub entrance. He spotted Eddie at the same time Eddie spotted him. He was very attractive and had a former rocker look about him, with extremely blonde hair, a pierced ear and leather bomber jacket. He looked away, but could feel Eddie’s predatory gaze on him. Whizzer stood and walked over to the Juke Box noticing out of the corner of his eye Eddie casually making his way over. Whizzer pretended to peruse the songs as Eddie came up next to him.

“Haven’t seen you around before, good-looking.” He gave a bright smile that could’ve fooled God himself.

“Oh yeah. I haven’t gone out in quite a while actually.” He took a few steps backwards toward the back of the bar.

“Really? Why not? Surely someone like you would be socializing all the time, no?” Eddie leaned forward into Whizzer’s personal space, his bright green eyes staring earnestly at Whizzer’s.

“Nah, I’ve only gone out a handful of times since my last major break-up.” He leaned against the back wall.

“Awe I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m glad you went out today, let me buy you a drink to celebrate.”

Whizzer leaned forward and placed one hand on the lapel of Eddie’s jacket, “Actually, I think I’d prefer talking to you alone out here.” He grabbed a fistful of his jacket and pulled him forward while simultaneously pushing the back door open into the alleyway and stepping out. Before Eddie had time to right himself, Whizzer slammed him into the wall of the alley.

“Was this where you did it?! Was this where you assaulted him?!”

“Whoa hey man, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I think you’ve got me confused with someone else!” His eyebrows arched halfway up his forehead.

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you do.”

“Look I like casual hookups okay? I’ve never had no complains of attacks or nothing!”

“I know what I saw!”

Something seemed to click, and Eddie smiled, “Whizzer.” He whispered

Whizzer’s blood ran cold. He continued staring furiously.

“Look man, that guy yesterday, he was already hurting. Kept going on about how his wife married another dude and how he only sees his kid like once or twice a month... and how his ex shut the door in his face when he tried to apologize to him earlier that day. The man was a mess, but whatever was up with him must’ve been from before.” Eddie had a smug look on his face. Whizzer saw red. He punched him in the face. Then he kicked his feet out from under him and punched him again. And again. And again.

“You. Fucker. How. Dare. You. I. Know. The. Truth.” Whizzer accentuated each word with his fist. He forced himself to hold back his rage and stood as Eddie clamped his hand over his bleeding nose. He went to head back inside.

“He kept calling for you.”

Whizzer turned and stared down at him murderously. Eddie grinned back.

“He kept calling for you to come help him. Tell me, where were you then?”

Whizzer slowly walked back over and kicked him in the gut, careful to avoid anything breakable. Then kicked him in the groin for good measure. The grin left Eddie’s face. Whizzer went back inside and found the bartender,

“I think someone got mugged outside. By the way, your patron, Eddie, is a serial rapist and you should probably do something about that immediately.” He turned on his heel and exited. He flagged down a taxi and went home, unsure if he ever should have gone out in the first place.

He crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling as his brain agonized over the past 24 hours.

In the morning, Whizzer paced his apartment unsure of what time was appropriate to go to Marvin’s. He was scared of what he would find when he got there. He checked his watch. 10:30. _Fuck it_. He took a taxi to Marvin’s place and stood outside his door, heart hammering as he waited for Marvin to answer his knock. The door opened and Marvin, fully dressed in a sweater and sweatpants stood back to let him in.

“Good morning Whizzer. What’s with the shopping bag?” He very slowly made his way to his dining room and eased himself into his chair.

“I’ve decided ice cream is appropriate for brunch.” He pulled out the container of ice cream. Marvin gave the faintest hint of a smile and nodded.

“Alright, I can get behind that.”

Whizzer spooned out the ice cream into two bowls and brought it over to the table, while also taking inventory of Marvin. He noted his still puffy jaw as he ate a small spoonful of ice cream. He wondered if Marvin had even fed himself since Whizzer last saw him.

“Whizzer, what happened to your hand?”

Whizzer glanced down. _Shit_. Marvin was already reaching out and grabbed his hand, peering at the scrapes and bruises on his knuckles from colliding with Eddie’s face. He distantly wondered just how hard he had hit him, bitterly wishing it had been harder.

“I got in a disagreement last night.”

“Looks like more than a disagreement.”

“Let’s just be glad I’m not currently in jail for murder.”

Marvin gave him an alarmed look. Whizzer sighed and reached down to the shopping bag, pulling out Marvin’s jacket and handing it to him. Marvin stared at it before placing it on the table next to his practically untouched ice cream.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I couldn’t do nothing.”

“But it’s all because of my actions. I’m the one who kept making dumb mistakes. You shouldn’t feel like you need to track down my... my r-rapist and-and confront him. Hell, after the way I treated you and Trina and Jason, I pretty much deserved it and now I-Whizzer? Why are you crying?”

Whizzer couldn’t stand it any longer. He wiped his eyes and stood and walked over to Marvin, opening his arms wide and silently begging to hold Marvin. Marvin acquiesced and Whizzer held him tightly as his tears continued to fall and soak Marvin’s sweater.

“Please don’t ever say that. No one ever deserves that.”

Marvin shook slightly before pushing against Whizzer’s chest. He stood and limped into his kitchen returning with a bottle of whiskey which he drank from directly.

“Marvin, it’s not even noon.”

“It helps with the pain.” Marvin frowned deeply and stared at the bottle in his hand. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked away from Whizzer,

“I took a shit this morning and thought I was going to tear myself in two. It was so painful.”

Whizzer took a deep breath wiping his eyes again,

“Marvin. That’s really bad. You should really see a doctor.”

He shook his head again, “The last thing I need is some homophobic doctor invading my personal space and looking down on me like I’m the scum of the earth.”

Whizzer could feel the misery radiating off of Marvin, but had no idea what to do,

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t decided to drown my sorrows away.” He took another swig of whiskey before continuing,

“I’ve just been so lonely. I just go to work and come home and visit with Jason sometimes. Nothing else. I have nothing. Nothing.”

“That’s not true. We all care about you, yes things got bad, but we care about your safety and well-being.”

Marvin snorted. “You didn’t want to see me Friday.”

“That was the worst mistake of my life.”

Marvin didn’t respond. Instead he raised the trembling bottle to his lips. Whizzer reached out and took it from him,

“That may be enough for now, I don’t know how much food or sleep you’ve had.”

“None and none.”

“What?”

“Not hungry. And sleeping becomes reliving it over and over.”

“Can I make you something you’d like to eat?”

“No.”

“How about some tea?”

“No.”

“Read to you from the paper?”

“No.”

Whizzer sighed, defeated, and ran his hand through his hair, “Okay. I guess there’s nothing I can do for you. I’ll get out of your space-”

“No.” His voice dropped to a whisper.

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Marvin’s face crumpled and he bit his lip, “Please... just stay with me. No conversation or anything. I just need someone here.”

Whizzer nodded, “Okay, but I’d prefer if we sat on the bed in case exhaustion from the alcohol or lack of sleep suddenly arises, alright?”

Whizzer washed their bowls as Marvin gingerly made his way to the bedroom. Whizzer felt that he should be doing something else to help Marvin but had absolutely no clue what that was. He himself felt exhausted from everything that had happened and could only imagine how much worse it was for Marvin.

He leaned against the headboard next to Marvin and they sat in silence. Whizzer could faintly hear a clock ticking and hypnotically listened intently to that as Marvin shifted every now and then. He noticed Marvin’s head drop to his chest and breathed a small sigh of relief that he’d finally gotten some sleep. Whizzer himself dozed off. He was awakened by screaming. He bolted upright and turned to see Marvin curled in the fetal position sobbing and screaming,

“Please stop! No no no please! Help! Help me! WHIZZER!”

“Marvin! You’re dreaming!” He reached over and was startled at how hot Marvin’s skin was. His eyes opened briefly, focusing on nothing before closing again as he begged an unseen force,

“Please make him stop! Please! Please! Whizzer help! Whizzer please help me!” Marvin thrashed and cried.

“Marvin! Please calm down! Oh God you’re burning up!” Marvin was weakly clutching at Whizzer's clothes, his words now incoherent.

Whizzer sprinted to the bathroom and threw the shower on cold. He ran back to the bed and scooped Marvin up in his arms and returned to the shower. He climbed into the tub completely dressed holding Marvin to him and sat down letting the water drench them.

“It’s okay Marvin. It’ll be okay. I’m here.” He murmured into Marvin’s hair praying that the fever would break. Marvin clung to Whizzer, no longer babbling but still coiled in on himself tightly.

“It’s okay it’s okay.” Whizzer repeated as the cold water continued to cascade on them. He shifted Marvin in his lap, so the water covered him more fully and gently brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

Eventually Marvin’s body temperature seemed to cool, and he opened his eyes and stared at Whizzer,

“Whiz.”

“Hey Marv. You really scared me for a bit there.” He turned off the water and grabbed every towel he could reach. He carried Marvin back to the bed and laid out a towel under him and handed him a second, looking away as Marvin peeled off his wet clothes and wrapped the towel around him. He finished and kept staring at Whizzer strangely.

“What’s up, Marvin?” Whizzer kneeled in front of him and gently placed his hand on Marvin’s.

“You’re not real. I’m officially insane.”

“Ridiculous. I’m right here.”

“You’re sopping wet, kneeling at my bedside, and acting like a full-on health care professional. Whizzer would never do that.”

“Oh Marv...” Whizzer leaned forward slowly bringing their faces closer, “I would do all of that and more for you Marvin. God, I’d do anything and everything I could for you and any other loved one.”

Marvin’s lower lip started trembling and he closed his eyes as fresh tears slid down his cheeks,

“Whizzer doesn’t love me. He told me so. How could he love me now that I’ve been... I’m damaged?”

Whizzer thought he was going to lose it and start crying anew right there alongside Marvin. Instead, he leaned back and gently gestured for Marvin to lie down,

“Shhh, now’s not the best time to talk about this. Rest a bit and we’ll talk more later. I’ll be here if you need anything.”

He quietly exited Marvin’s room and realized he was still dripping water on Marvin’s floor. He walked outside and slid down against the door and clamped his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from screaming. Sobs burst past his fingers and he huddled shivering and beyond bewildered of what he was supposed to do.

“Hey, are you alright?” A blonde woman was peeking her head out of a door about six feet away from Whizzer and looking extremely concerned.

Whizzer took a deep breath and wiped his face. He flashed her a small smile,

“I’ll be okay, thanks.”

She didn’t look like she was buying his schtick,

“Is the gentleman who lives there alright?”

Whizzer frowned, “I... I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.”

“Why don’t you come in, warm up, and talk a bit?”

“Can’t. Need to be close to Marvin in case something happens.”

“One sec.”

She disappeared for a minute, but quickly reappeared wearing a coat and carrying a large beach towel. She sat down next to Whizzer and wrapped the towel around him.

“I’m Cordelia.” She extended her hand. Whizzer automatically shook it.

“Whizzer.”

“Nice to meet you. Now, why don’t you start at the beginning?”

“I’d really hate to take up your time-”

“Nonsense. I had nothing really important planned anyways. Just dinner with my girlfriend. I’m trying to make matzoh ball soup but the matzoh balls keep coming out hard as rocks... so I’ll try again later.”

“Okay... well anyways, Marvin, the guy who lives here. I’m sure you’ve met him.”

“In passing. Seems nice enough.”

“Yeah. He’s my ex. From over a year ago. And recently... this is difficult ‘cause it’s not really my story to tell. But I’m running out of options and I need to do something...” Whizzer ran a hand through his hair frustrated.

“Just say whatever you feel comfortable saying.”

“Well the point is, he was attacked Friday night. Badly. Like really bad. And he doesn’t want to go to the hospital. But he’s getting worse. And I’m terrified of what to do because it’s his right not to see a doctor, but I feel helpless standing by and watching.”

“Why doesn’t he want to see a doctor?”

“Well... I think it’s partly... shame... maybe? Due to the nature of his injuries and the current political climate surrounding gays and lesbians. He thinks the doctor would treat him poorly just because of that... and I kinda get what he means. But I really think he needs medical attention... but who am I to make that decision on his behalf? I’m just his ex.”

Cordelia thought for a bit, “Well, if he’s worried about homophobic doctors, my girlfriend is a doctor of internal medicine. She could talk to him and give him an informal look-over. Maybe convince him to check into the hospital if necessary.”

Whizzer blinked in surprise, “Marvin’s been living next door to a lesbian doctor this entire time?”

Cordelia gave a sweet smile, “Funny how those things work out. Let me go grab her.”

She stood and walked to her door, opened it, and shouted, “HEY CHARLOTTE!!! CAN YOU COME HERE PLEASE?! IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT! LOVE YA!”

She turned back to Whizzer, “I’m super subtle.”

Whizzer assumed the woman who came to the door was Charlotte. Cordelia pointed to Whizzer,

“He’s got a bit of a situation that could use your expertise.”

Charlotte walked over and kneeled in front of him, “Hello, I’m Charlotte. How can I help you?”

“Oh. Not me. At least not right now despite appearances to the contrary.” He motioned vaguely at his damp clothes as he pushed himself to his feet.

Charlotte seemed unfazed, “Okay then.”

“It’s Marvin. The guy who lives here. He was attacked the other day and doesn’t want to see a doctor. But he’s getting worse. And Cordelia thought that maybe you could help him in some way.”

She thought for a second, “If Marvin is really doing as badly as you say, it might just be best to get him to the hospital.”

Whizzer frowned, “I would really like to respect his wishes. He didn’t want to see a doctor because he was... violently assaulted while drunk... and he’s concerned that the doctor will treat him like he was asking for it because he was drunk or gay or something awful like that... I really don’t want him to get hurt any more than he already has been. Please, I’ll pay however much you’d normally charge, but please, could you at least see him for a few minutes? If it really is bad, then I’ll take him to the hospital no matter what... just please...” he couldn’t help the desperation that crept into his voice.

She looked at him softly, “Okay. Let me grab some supplies.” Cordelia opened the door for her and she turned back, “By the way, what about you? This can’t be easy on you. You should get out of those damp clothes. And when was the last time you ate?”

“Oh. Uh. I’ll get right on that. Both of those, actually.”

“Ooh! I have some food the both of you can have!” Cordelia hurried into her apartment and returned holding several Tupperware containers,

“Tell him that I’ll make a proper dinner for all of us once he gets better.”

Whizzer led Charlotte into Marvin’s apartment and paused outside of the bedroom,

“Um. I’ll go first.”

Charlotte nodded. Whizzer slowly entered and approached Marvin,

“Hey Marvin, you awake?”

Marvin shifted slightly and squinted at Whizzer, “Whizzer?”

“Hey. Look, I know you don’t want to see a doctor, but this is Charlotte. She’s from next door. She’s a doctor of internal medicine. And she’s a lesbian. Not that that’s super important or anything. Just helpful. I guess... This all sounded better in my head. Uh... I’m just going to borrow some old sweats because I’m starting to chafe.”

He pulled some clothes from Marvin’s drawers and exited to the bathroom as Charlotte approached Marvin,

“Hi Marvin, My name’s Charlotte.”

Whizzer slipped into Marvin’s clothes and inhaled deeply enjoying the familiar scent. He headed to the kitchen and opened one of the Tupperware containers and stared at what appeared to be chicken and rice. He heated them up and realized the rice was beyond overcooked. However, the chicken was edible, and he was hungry. Presently, Charlotte appeared,

“Well the good news is that I do not believe he needs hospitalization. He does have an infection from his injuries. I left some antibiotics and recommend a soft or liquid foods only diet for the next week. If he continues having sleeping issues, I suggest getting some melatonin supplements. Also, he will probably need psychological counseling to cope with the mental trauma.”

She paused and looked at Whizzer sadly, “I’m truly sorry for what happened. I’ll keep in touch. I know you care about him a lot, but also make sure you’re okay as well. Take care.”

Whizzer rummaged around Marvin’s kitchen before finding a can of soup. He warmed it up and poured out a small serving before poking his head into the bedroom, “How are you doing?”

“Terribly.”

Whizzer made his way to the bed and handed the bowl over. Then he climbed on and sat crossed legged next to Marvin, “I’m sorry.”

Marvin sighed and began eating the soup hungrily, eyeing Whizzer from the corner of his eye,

“Is that... my favorite sweater?”

“My clothes were damp...”

“Oh. Huh. Hmm.”

“What?”

“So that did actually happen.”

“Yeah.”

“You also found a lesbian doctor for me.”

“Well that was more of a lucky coincidence.”

“You convinced her to see me.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why?”

“Because I had to.”

“That’s not true.”

Whizzer quickly changed topics,

“Why were you coming to see me Friday night?”

A faint blush crept up Marvin’s neck and he looked away,

“Doesn’t matter now.”

“Something must have prompted you to show up after two years of no contact.”

“Jason.”

“What?”

“Jason told me to. He said that he missed you and wanted you back in his life and if I didn’t do something, he would.”

Whizzer felt a pang of disappointment in his chest. He took Marvin’s empty bowl and stood to leave.

“I wanted to make amends.”

Whizzer almost dropped the bowl. He didn’t dare turn around, “What?”

“My new... my new shrink wanted me to practice making amends and I’ve been working on becoming a better person to Trina and a better father to Jason. I was about to start trying to do that with you too... Jason, for his part, said that I was never really happy except when I was with you and I was an idiot for kicking you out and that it was hurtful to him too because he really liked you.”

Whizzer turned and stared at Marvin in shock. Marvin was tearing up again and staring at his hands,

“I mean, yeah. I was an idiot. Still am. I just missed you so much. It physically hurt. I harbored no illusions that you’d take me back, but I wanted to at least lay the ground work by gaining your forgiveness... So that’s why I showed up on your doorstep Friday night. But it doesn’t matter now...” he buried his face in his hands.

Whizzer’s voice was unsteady, “Forgiveness? Of course, Marvin, I forgive you.”

Marvin shook his head, “You’re just saying that ‘cause you feel bad about what happened to me.”

“Yes, I feel terrible about what happened to you, but that has nothing to do with my forgiveness. I had no clue what you wanted and, being the dick that I am, let my stupid impulsiveness prevent me from acting like a mature adult and instead slammed the door in your face. I am so sorry for doing that.”

“You had every right to.”

“My point is, if I had let my dumb brain think for a moment and realized you were trying to make amends I would have let you in. I mean, the Marvin I knew never believed he was wrong, never mind apologized for anything. That alone is evidence of you growing into a better person. I forgive you, Marvin.”

Marvin let out a crazed burst of laughter, “It’s not like it’s fucking relevant anymore. You’ve seen what a sorry mess I’ve become. I can barely take care of myself. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to _think_ about having sex again without being transported back to that alleyway. I’m useless for literally one half of the entire basis of our relationship!”

Whizzer stared at Marvin. _This no time to be a chicken shit. I’ve got to be the strong one right now_. He placed the bowl on the bedside table and climbed back into bed. Slowly, he placed one arm, and then the other around Marvin,

“I know I once told you a long time ago that I didn’t love you. I said it in a state of anger and frustration and pain. And I’m sorry to admit that part of me was trying to hurt you because I knew that you wanted desperately for me to love you back. And at the time, I didn’t want to love you because it hurt to be around you. I was wrong. Maybe I was in denial at the time, but regardless, these past three days have made me realize just how much you mean to me. How important you still are to me even after all this time. Your pain and hurt is my pain and hurt. I wouldn’t hesitate to go to the ends of the earth if it meant you’d be getting what you need. I will forever be upset that this happened to you, but I promise you that I will stay by your side to help you feel better no matter how long that takes. And after that, we can be friends or lovers or whatever we both want.”

Marvin was staring at Whizzer incredulously,

“Whizzer, I love you. I’ve always loved you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“I love you too, Marvin.”

Marvin gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen. He leaned into Whizzer, “This won’t be easy. I definitely have a bunch of new problems to make up for the old ones. And I still have pretty much the same clothes so if you’re going to get annoyed-”

“Marvin, it’s okay. We’ll work through it together as each situation comes up.”

“Oh God, what are we going to say to people when they ask us what got us back together?”

“I don’t know. It’s not that important. You can say a flying unicorn decreed it if you want.”

“Are you going to move back in?”

“Hmmmm I don’t know about that... kidding, just kidding, yeah probably. Maybe wait until you’re stronger though.”

“Oh right. You know, for a moment, I completely forgot about that.”

“Good.”

“Whizzer?”

“Yes?”

“Will you kiss me?”

“Of course, Marvin.”


End file.
